


Right here waiting

by gottalovev



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Avengers Family, Cat Dads, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Idiots in Love, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Oblivious Tony Stark, Pining, Pool Party, Protective Tony Stark, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:21:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28093065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gottalovev/pseuds/gottalovev
Summary: Steve has been missing Tony like crazy since he left the compound. One day, Steve drops in unannounced at the tower, and when on a walk for coffee they rescue newborn kittens.Or:  A yearning Steve, an oblivious Tony, and co-parenting kittens. (= fuff!)
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 60
Kudos: 262
Collections: Marvel Big Bang 2020





	Right here waiting

**Author's Note:**

> In a divergent timeline AU set right after Ultron, where Steve told Tony right away about his parents and Tony is not with Pepper anymore. Apart from that? Fluff central, guaranteed.
> 
> You'll see embedded in the fic the fantastic art done by Kait / @StarkSnack that is also on Twitter [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28093065/preview). Like. It's SO CUTE. ♥
> 
> Written for MarvelBang, a challenge that I always love, thank you mods!

For at least the tenth time since he left the Compound, Steve wonders if visiting Tony at the former Avengers Tower without prior warning is a good idea. Steve wasn't lying when he said that he'd miss Tony when he quit the Avengers after Ultron; he does fiercely. Tony had kept sporadic contact since, but it’s not enough for Steve's taste. It’s not something he can control, though, apart from initiating a few text conversations or hoping to catch Tony when he visited upstate. Tony has been gone for months, but he's been isolating more than usual for three weeks now. 

Maybe it had gotten too much for him… Tony had gone through a lot of hard blows these last few years, not even counting the times he almost died. After reading the Winter Soldier file Natasha gave him, Steve had immediately told Tony his suspicions, that Bucky had probably assassinated his parents. It had been heart-wrenchingly painful to watch. Tony was furious, yelling about how unfair it was that his mother had paid for his father's obsession with supersoldiers, how he'd spent his life working on them only to be killed by one. Steve had worried he'd lost a dear friend just as he learned Bucky was alive. Tony, being Tony, had disappeared for a week, but resurfaced with a plan to find _and help_ Bucky. Who does that but an exceptional man? 

Steve is pretty sure that was the moment he'd fallen head over heels for the man. But Tony was taken... until he wasn't anymore. The break up with Pepper had hit Tony hard, too, and it would have been tacky for Steve to make his interest known then. As if that wasn't enough, then came the murderous robot and JARVIS' destruction - even as it birthed Vision - which had complicated things even more, enough for Tony to quit. Steve worried that by isolating himself in the Tower, Tony was staying stuck in his head and perceiving everyone’s moves too much. Maybe, just maybe, Steve could help a little. He opens his phone and taps on the "F" app before placing it at his ear.

"Hello, Captain Rogers," Tony's new AI answers. It's still striking to hear a feminine voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Hello, FRIDAY," Steve says. He takes a step forward as the line for the cash register moves. "I'm at the Burger King close to the Tower and I was wondering if Tony ate lunch yet."

"I can trans—" FRIDAY starts, but Steve interrupts.

"No, no, I'll order take-out and bring it over. Did he eat?" Steve is ninety percent sure that Tony will refuse to meet him, anyway. Showing up with food is his best option.

"Boss has been eating snacks all morning, but he has not had a proper meal. Do I understand right that you don't want me to tell him you are coming over?"

"Yes," Steve admits. "He'll say no, but if he sees the food…"

"I agree. He prefers cheeseburgers, no pickles."

Steve huffs a laugh. "I know. Thanks FRIDAY. I'll be at the Tower soon."

"Understood. Thank you, Captain." She sounds approving, and it comforts Steve in his decision.

****

The doors of the elevators leading to the Avengers’ floors open in front of Steve when he shows up with several paper bags full of fast food.

"Thanks, FRIDAY."

"My pleasure. Boss is in the workshop."

Of course he is.

"How is he doing?" Steve asks as the elevator climbs.

"Better, I'd say. Colonel Rhodes' visit helped." Jim spent a long weekend at the tower two weeks ago, but understandably didn't tell the team a lot about Tony's state of mind. "Boss is working a lot and not sleeping enough."

"I guessed as much," Steve says. Work is how Tony deals with most problems. "Thanks for helping me with this. I won't insist on staying if he wants me gone."

"I'd expect nothing less."

Steve braces himself when he reaches the right floor. After a deep breath, he walks into Tony's workshop once FRIDAY opens the door for him. The music immediately falls from being cacophonic to just barely tolerable. It makes Tony react, even though he doesn't stop whatever he's working on, curled over his desk.

"What now?" Tony grumbles.

"Burgers," Steve says, and Tony jumps in surprise, turning to Steve with wide eyes.

He looks good, although when does he not? But Steve had almost expected to see an unkept Tony, as anyone cut away from the world might be. Steve also realizes that Tony doesn't have the luxury to let himself go completely, with the facade he needs to keep with the press and his investors. 

"Steve?" he asks, bewildered. He also cuts the music with a gesture at the ceiling, a notable relief.

"In the flesh. Here," Steve says, extending a paper bag with bacon cheeseburgers and fries to Tony, who takes it without a fuss. That he's learned to trust Steve enough to take things directly from his hand is still a thrill, a year in. 

"I'm not—" Tony starts, but his stomach growls comically loudly and Steve raises an eyebrow. 

"You know you want it," Steve says, dragging a second stool towards the workbench and flopping down.

"That sounds really skeevy," Tony says, but the corner of his mouth raises up in a half smile and Steve wants to crow at his success.

"Eh," Steve says with a shrug. "Come on, eat up." He unwraps one of his own burgers and takes a big bite.

"I’m always shocked that you can swallow a Whopper in four bites," Tony says, but looks through his bag and grabs his own sandwiches. Steve tries not to look as pleased as he is, especially when Tony takes a bite too (admittedly a much smaller one). 

Steve doesn't answer, too busy chewing, and for a few minutes they eat in silence. After his third cheeseburger, Steve points at Tony's project with a French fry.

"New boot?" It's gray, but Steve hopes that Tony just hasn’t gotten around to painting it red yet.

Tony nods. "Yeah, for Rhodey." He must see the disappointment on Steve's face because he chides. "I told you, I'm done."

"I know, I know," Steve replies, raising his hands. "Can't blame a guy for hoping."

It makes Tony smile, as if he’s surprised. Steve doesn't know what he did wrong that Tony doesn't realize or believe he'd be welcomed back enthusiastically. 

"Yeah? Well, Pep—" he starts and immediately his face falls. As if for a moment he'd forgotten his break up and it came back all at once. Shit, that was not the plan at all. He looks so lost that Steve wishes they had the kind of friendship where he could gather Tony in a hug without a word.

"Anytime you want to rejoin the team, you can. You should know that," Steve says, and he pokes at the boot to give Tony time to compose himself again.

When Tony left, Steve tried to be as supportive of his choice as possible. He understood that Tony was tired, overworked and overstressed, especially with the guilt that came with Ultron's havoc. Steve hadn’t helped at all with his quick judgment and constant accusations at the time. But when everything’s said and done, all that Steve wants is for Tony to be happy. If Tony believes that he needs a break from the superhero life, so be it.

That being said, having Tony back at the Compound would be great. For one, Tony wouldn't be by himself in this big tower and the team could make sure he's fine. And maybe, when the time is right, Steve can grow a pair and ask him out. 

Okay, now is not the time to think about that. Steve's here as a concerned friend, with no ulterior motive. And the first part of Steve's plan is working like a charm; Tony all but inhales his first burger and helping of fries, and is still going strong with the second sandwich.

"Thanks," Tony says when he finishes it. "Haven't eaten a burger in a while."

Steve squints at him. "You're not living on smoothies, power bars and blueberries, are you?"

Tony rolls his eyes. "No. I drink coffee, too." He grins when Steve opens his mouth to protest. "It's a joke. I'm fine, and besides, my smoothes, power bars and blueberries, as you say, would be absolutely fine. I ran the numbers."

"I know, I know," Steve admits. When the team began living together, Steve thought Tony couldn't take care of himself. He eventually realized that Tony skipped organized meals, but he did eat. Sleep is another matter, though, but not one Steve wants to argue about today.

"You're just a mother hen," Tony says, finishing his fries.

"Sometimes." Often with Tony, in fact, but that's because Steve loves having an excuse to take care of him.

"What brings you to town?" Tony asks.

"I had an interview with TIME Magazine," Steve says. "A piece on remembering the Howling Commandos."

Tony frowns. "You don't have to do those, you know. Even if the reporters are nice and have good intentions."

"I didn't mind. They showed me material that was recently rediscovered. It was nice." Bittersweet, really, especially seeing Bucky smirk and joke with him and the others, but he's glad to have seen those tapes. And the journalists _were_ very nice and _did_ have good intentions. 

"Still, you have a right to tell people to stop bringing it up. That you've moved on," Tony says.

It's out of concern, no doubt about it, and Steve appreciates the sentiment.

"But have I?" he asks instead.

Tony looks even more concerned now. "Are you alright? I'm sorry we haven't found Barnes yet, but I thought you felt as if you fit in better—"

"I do," Steve interrupts. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I know it seems like forever, but it's only been three and a half years."

"I'm sorry," Tony says. "Of course. I just feel like everyone keeps pushing the past in your face, as if the only thing interesting about you is your glory days in World War 2."

"It's not?" Steve says, more as a joke than anything.

"To my surprise, no," Tony says with a smile.

Steve wants to keep him smiling forever, even at his own expense. 

"I didn’t bring anything to drink. Why don't we go get coffee?" Steve offers.

Tony pauses, looking at the boot on his desk, then to a hologram screen that has a long list with empty checkboxes. He is, no doubt, very busy. Steve keeps his body language open and his face as hopeful as can be, and smiles when Tony nods.

"Yeah, okay, why not?"

He probably hasn't left the Tower for anything else than business for weeks.

"Awesome," Steve says, getting up and gathering the trash.

"DUM-E can do that," Tony says. The robot beeps in agreement.

But Steve's already done, and he gives the bag with the wrappings to DUM-E, who accepts with a shrilling sound. 

"There you go, buddy. Thank you." 

There's no other way to describe the bounce of DUM-E’s camera than excited. It's incredible what the helper bot can convey, but then again, he is Tony's creation. Everything that Tony does is extraordinary (Ultron too, even though it was on the bad side of the Force.)

There's a nice little coffee shop, three blocks away, that they found a few years back and prefer over the big chains. They don't even need to talk about it, falling in step in the direction of the shop. Halfway there, they stop to let a young man push a full trash bin on wheels closer to the end of an alley for pick-up. Tony has his phone out, distracted by emails, and it's probably because they're not talking that Steve hears a faint sound that catches his attention. Was that a mewl? He normally wouldn't bother, thinking it's a stray cat, but it seems to come from _inside_ the trash.

He focuses and hears it again, and he can tell by how high pitched it is that it must be a kitten. Maybe it got trapped?

Tony has deviated to go around the bin but stops when Steve opens the lid and peers in. The smell of garbage is terrible, not helped by the hot weather, but the sound is clearer now. 

"What do you think you're doing?" the young man who placed the container asks him.

"The hell, Steve?" Tony adds as Steve pulls out the tied-up trash bags.

"Sorry, I'll put it back," Steve says, searching on the right side of the bin. 

The correct bag is further down than he’d thought, and he has to jump in to retrieve it. He feels something give out under his left foot and he doesn't want to know what was in there. It smells like rotten vegetables, among other things. He’s sure he’s ruined his shoe, and probably his pants too. Steve doesn't care though, worried because the kitten's mewls are growing further apart. 

"This is disgusting," Tony says. "What the hell… I'm so sorry, I have no idea what he's doing."

"Huh. You're Tony Stark," the young man says.

"Yeah, and you have Captain America in your garbage. I'm just as surprised by that as you are."

"Got it," Steve says. He's sure he has the right bag, the tiny sound clear this time when it's jostled.

"Is… is that a cat?" Tony asks

"Yeah, I think so," Steve says and passes the bag to Tony, who's wordlessly asking for it. Steve jumps out of the garbage and Tony crouches on the pavement, ripping the bag open.

"Who the hell would—" Tony pauses when he pushes a newspaper aside and finds two minuscule kittens, the black one wriggling and screaming, "Oh my God."

Steve lowers himself and tentatively touches the unmoving cat, with hair so pale it's mostly pink, and he's relieved when it squirms. Not dead then, that's good.

"Come here, sweetheart, it's okay now," Tony says, gently picking up the dark kitten. It fits in the palm of his hand and Steve melts at the way Tony immediately brings it to place a kiss on its head. "Shhh, shhh, I've got you."

The kitten keeps mewling, though the pitch changes, as if it understands that there is less danger now. Steve picks the second one up with the utmost care, worried he might hurt it. It's so small, barely as big as two of his fingers. It can't be more than a few days old. Its eyes aren’t opened yet, and there's a piece of dried umbilical cord still attached to its belly. Poor thing.

Behind them, the guy who moved the bin starts throwing back in the bags Steve flung out, which makes him feel bad. He made the mess, he should pick it up. 

"Here, do you think you can hold this one too?" he asks Tony, offering the white kitten to him.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Tony says, cupping his two hands together. Steve puts the white kitten with the black one, which seems to settle the latter. "Oh God. They're so small!"

"Yeah. Just a sec."

Steve rises to his feet to help tidy up.

"I can do it," the young man says. He looks to be in his late teens, and mostly in a hurry to get on with his day. Maybe a little nervous.

"Sorry about that," Steve says. "I knew I'd heard something. What's your name?"

"I'm Will. I didn't know 'bout the cats, Captain. Honest," he says. Steve believes him; he seemed just as surprised as Tony when Steve fished the bag out. "There are a lot of strays around here."

"You live here, Will?" Steve asks.

"No, but I work at the convenience store right there," he says, pointing.

"I'll put the trash back in the bin. Could you find me a rag or an old t-shirt, something?"

"They're real small. Without the mamma, I wouldn't bother—" Will says, but Tony interrupts him.

"Oh, I'll bother," Tony says with a scowl, kittens held protectively against his chest.

Will shrugs. "Alright then. I'll be right back," he says, and jogs towards the store. 

"FRIDAY, you hear me?" Tony asks, without even taking out his phone.

"I do, Boss. What can I do for you?" FRIDAY answers from his pocket.

"Steve found these kittens," Tony says. "Just babies. Is there a vet close by?"

"Or maybe a shelter?" Steve adds as he throws the last of the garbage back in the bin. The ASPCA is further up the Upper East Side, but there must be something closer.

"There is a veterinarian clinic two blocks south of your position," she says. Meanwhile, Will has returned with a beige tea towel that he hands to Steve.

"That do?" It's clean and soft, better than Steve expected.

"Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you, Will," Steve says.

"My pleasure," he answers with a grin. He'll have a weird story to tell his friends, about superheroes dumpster diving to save animals. "I hope they make it."

"Same."

FRIDAY has finished giving Tony directions, and he walks over, zeroing in on the piece of cloth.

"Good thinking, hold it up," Tony asks.

Steve cups his hands with the towel and Tony gently places the kittens on it. They barely weigh anything. After carefully folding the fabric in a nest around and over the kittens, Tony takes the bundle back. He's fully in protective mode, talking softly. 

"There you go, little ones. All nice and cozy for a small trip, okay?" 

The black kitten that had calmed down in Tony's hands starts screaming again.

"So fierce," Tony says with an amused huff. "Shush, you, keep your strength. It's going to be okay."

He's started walking, and Steve follows his lead. Steve must smell terrible, but for the moment it isn't much of an issue. 

"God, Steve, they're just babies. Who throws kittens in the trash?" Tony asks angrily.

"I know." Too many people, Steve's afraid. Or they’d throw them in the river, but he doesn't say that out loud.

"FRIDAY is calling the vet, they'll be expecting us."

***

The vet's receptionist – a young woman with a "Viv" name tag – blinks several times in surprise when Tony Stark enters the clinic and makes a beeline for her desk. He starts to put the bundle with the kittens on the counter, but changes his mind and reins it in, keeping them close to his chest.

"Huh, so it wasn't a joke," Viv blurts out, before putting her hand in front of her mouth and blushing.

"No, Miss Viv," Tony says with a grin, catching the ball on the rebound. "Is the doctor ready to see them?"

"We work on appointments," Viv says slowly, throwing a nervous glance to an old man and his dog in the waiting room. At least the clinic doesn't seem too busy at the moment.

Tony turns to the other customer, his PR smile in full force. "Sorry to barge in, sir. May I cut the line? I'll pay for your visit _and_ give you five hundred dollars."

The old man squints at Tony. "What? Do I know you?"

"Tony Stark," Tony answers, at the same time that Steve says "Iron Man." Tony smiles and winks at Steve, before adding, "And Captain America."

It makes the man's eyes widen, while he hadn't looked too impressed before. "Really?"

Steve waves, judging the guy. He knows he’s so much less interesting than Tony; age alone doesn't excuse the preference. Tony catches on that Steve is a bigger hit and exploits the advantage.

"Cap found these baby kittens in a dumpster. I just want someone to look them over, you know?" Tony says, Bambi eyes at maximum power. 

"Yeah," Steve says, playing along. Of course he does, it's for Tony. Well, for the kittens too. "I'm very worried."

"Sure, go ahead. We're just here for my boy's shots, anyway," the man says, tapping his bulldog's flank. 

"Thank you," Steve says. "I appreciate it." It makes the old man smile widely.

"Thank you," Tony adds, genuinely. "Miss Viv, don't charge this good man, and I'll leave some cash when we go, alright?"

"Sure," Viv says. Now that the surprise has passed, she doesn't seem to care one way or the other. "I'll let you in consulting room two, Doctor Martin will be with you shortly."

The examination room in question is small and smells quite a lot like disinfectant, but that might only be to Steve, who's very sensitive to those chemicals. There's a stainless steel table to deposit the animals, but Tony doesn't relinquish the kittens. He’s opened the bundle and is whispering to the cats about how they are wonderful babies and how the doctor will be here soon. Frankly, Steve couldn't be more smitten if he tried. He knew he had a crush on the guy the size of the moon, but this is just too much. Steve takes the liberty of going to the sink, where he wets several paper towels and tries to clean his shoes and pants.

"I'll buy you new ones," Tony says.

"I don't need you to buy me anything, Tony." If they are ruined, so be it. Steve doesn't care. 

Tony is no doubt about to argue when a man with a lab coat joins them from a second door that leads to the interior of the clinic. His nametag confirms that this is indeed Doctor Martin.

"Hello, gentleman," he greets them. "What do we have here?"

At last, Tony puts his precious cargo on the table. The black kitten immediately starts meowing again.

"We found them in a dumpster," Tony says. The doctor pulls on his gloves and examines the two babies with practiced gestures.

"The umbilical cords are dry, which puts them at two or three days old. They seem in relatively good health, especially this little gal," he says, pointing at the black one. She doesn't even have full control of her head, but is bobbing it and crying. 

"It's a girl?" Tony asks, reaching to touch its small folded ears. She bumps into his fingers and meows again.

"Hard to say with newborns, but yes, it seems to be two girls. Give me a second," the doc says, reaching for the phone. "Sandra?"

Steve hears the other side of the conversation, due to his enhanced hearing. A woman; Viv from the reception, if Steve's not mistaken.

"Sandra's on break. Do you need something?"

"Yes. Start a heating pad, and bring me warm formula and two syringes with feeding nipples, please. Thank you."

After he hangs up, the doctor turns back to them. He inclines his head with a smile.

"Thanks for bringing them in. I'll call the shelter and check if they can find a foster home"

Tony frowns. "Can't you do it here?"

Doctor Martin shakes his head. "We don't have the staff to care for them around the clock, and they'll be better with a foster family, anyway. They might even have a nursing mother at the shelter."

"Oh," Tony says, looking pensive.

"That would be good, right?" Steve says, trying to cheer him up. "A new mom, new siblings."

"Of course," Tony says. He's delicately caressing the white kitten now, as if reluctant to stop touching them.

There's a knock on the inside door, and Viv comes in with what the doctor ordered. The heating pad is in a box, ready to receive the kittens. The vet deposits the black one in it, but keeps the white sister for now. He places her on her belly on the tea towel and holds her little head with his thumb and index finger. 

"Sandra's not back yet?" Doctor Martin asks.

"No," Viv says, filling a syringe with formula and putting the rubber nipple at the end. "She just stepped out when you called."

"Fine. I'll feed them this time, but set the timer and Sandra will have to do it next, if they aren't gone by then."

"Got it," Viv says. She pauses by the door before leaving. "By the way, Mrs. Otto is here."

"Okay, okay," the doctor says, nodding again. "Shouldn't be too long."

"I'm sorry we're keeping you from your regular patients," Steve says. They did barge in and commandeer this man's time.

"It's fine, nothing urgent," Martin says. 

He puts the end of the small nipple in the kitten's mouth, and immediately the white kitten reacts by stretching her front paws with kneading motions, swallowing eagerly. 

Tony laughs. "Atta girl!"

"Hungry little thing!" the vet says, smiling back. "Easy, girl, you don't want to choke."

The black kitten keeps meowing in the box, stealing Tony's attention, who pets her with two fingers. 

"Won't be long, baby," he says, before looking at Doctor Martin. "Could I do it? Feed her?"

"At this age—" the vet starts, about to rebuke Tony, but he pauses after a look at Tony's hopeful face and changes course. "Sure, I'll show you." It seems he's just as incapable at refusing those big brown eyes as Steve is.

The white kitten isn't happy about the pause in its feeding. As soon as Doctor Martin takes the nipple away to help Tony hold the other one properly, she starts screaming. It's the first time she's made any noise, and she's pissed.

They all chuckle and Steve reaches for her in comfort. "Just a second, don't worry." Tony and the doctor focus on feeding the black kitten

"Yes, that's it. First time with a rubber nipple might be iffy, though her sister took to it like a champ. You need to push on the plunger very, very slowly and make sure she's swallowing by lightly resting your finger on her throat. Newborns don't have a gag reflex, so it's dangerous to go too fast."

"Understood. I'll be careful," Tony says, hyper-focused. The black kitten latches onto the nipple as fiercely as her sister did, which makes him grin. "There you go, baby!"

"Perfect," Doctor Martin says. "This is a 3 cc syringe, and a meal for a small one like this is 2 or 3 millimeters. If she turns her head away, she's had enough."

"Got it." 

The vet is about to start feeding the white kitten again when Steve offers his help. 

"I could do this one? If it would help?"

"Yes, okay," he says. 

He makes sure that Steve is holding the newborn, who's still screaming for food, correctly. It's scary how fragile the small cat feels, especially at the neck. Steve could hurt her so easily if he's not careful. As soon as the rubber nipple is near her mouth, the kitten sucks on it, and Steve gently presses on the plunger to feed her. He can feel the tiny gulps on the pad of his fingers and focuses on keeping the flow slow and steady.

"Thanks for the help. I'll call for a foster placement," Doctor Martin says.

"Can you do it here?" Tony asks. "In case I fuck up?"

He's going great, judging by how content the small black kitten looks, happily feeding from the nipple. Steve's is squirming as if impatient, and he pushes harder on the plunger with trepidation.

"I'd appreciate that too," Steve says. "I'm terrified."

"You guys are doing fine," the doctor says. "But sure, I'll call from here."

"Yours is eating fast," Tony says, peering at how quickly the syringe is emptying.

"I know," Steve replies. "She seems okay, right? I can feel her swallowing and all."

"Isn't that weird? But yeah, she looks good, she’s just a hungry girl," Tony says with a smile. 

Both the kittens are making little movements with their paws, and Steve gives a thought to their mother.

"Do you think we could find the mom and give her the babies back?"

Tony frowns in anger. "Not sure. And the fucker that threw them away could hurt them again."

"True."

Meanwhile, the vet is on the phone with someone he knows, talking about the future care of the kittens.

"Yes, they're two or three days old, tops. Do you have a nursing mother?" A pause. "Too bad. Could one of your foster families take them in? Okay, call me back. Thanks."

The doctor hangs up and notices that he's drawn their attention. He smiles reassuringly, "She'll get back to me. I'm sure we'll find them a good family."

"No mother cat?" Tony asks. It would have been Steve's preference, too.

"Unfortunately."

"I could do it? Yeah, I can do it," Tony says. Of course he'd want to take care of the babies; it's clear he's already attached.

"It's a lot of work, Mr. Stark," the doctor says gently. "Newborns need to be fed every two hours, day and night. They need to be kept at the right temperature, because they can't regulate their own. I don't recommend it for a first foster experience."

"Okay, fair, but I'm sure I can do it," Tony argues. "I have little to do at the moment, honestly. If you tell me exactly what to do, I swear I'll follow the instructions. Just until you find good people for them."

"I'm certain you would, but it's a lot of—" the doctor trails off when he sees, just like Steve does, how Tony is digging his heels in. He's so fierce and has so much love to give.

"I can help if you want?" Steve proposes. "For the night shifts and all?"

Tony looks at him with surprise and smiles. "Yeah? That's great. See, Doc? I think two superheroes can take care of two kittens."

"Sure, okay," Doctor Martin says with a shrug. "We have instructions and charts for the temperatures and feeding they need as they grow up. I'll get a copy."

"Thank you," Tony says. "I appreciate it. Also, tell me about any supplies I'll need, formula and all. I'll take it."

"No problem."

Steve has finished emptying his syringe and the white kitten is like putty in his hand, drunk on milk. 

"I think she's done," he says.

"She drank it all?" the vet says. "Okay. Now we have to clean her mouth so the hair doesn't get sticky and stiff, and help her with a bathroom break. She won't be able to use a litter tray for several weeks."

The doctor shows Tony and Steve how to wash her little face with a wet wipe, and then how to stimulate for ejections. It's not complicated, but Steve wouldn't have known how to do it on his own. By the time the vet has gathered the supplies needed, including the heating pad in a box, Tony has finished feeding and cleaning up the black kitten. She's finally calm and drowsy. 

"Thank you so much," Tony says as they gather everything they need to leave with the kittens. Steve's not surprised that he immediately goes for the box. 

"No, thank you," the doctor says, still starry eyed at the amount of money Tony gave the clinic. Steve didn't see the figure, but there were, at minimum, four zeros.

Tony waves it off. "The least I could do. You keep doing good work. And thank the man with the bulldog; his visit is on me, with whatever he wants to buy for the pooch. I also owe him 500 bucks, and it’s best if I transfer it to him, since I don't have cash on me." He scribbles something on a card and gives it to Viv. "Ask him to email his name and address here. FRIDAY will take care of it."

"Got it," Viv says, smiling. "Good luck with the babies."

"We've got this," Tony says, with a wink. 

The 'we' makes Steve grin, and he nods. "We sure do."

"Let's get them home, then."

**

Thankfully, Steve has gym clothes at the Tower. He takes a detour to what used to be his floor – he guesses it still is? Nothing has changed anyway – to shower. He throws his soiled pants in the wash and his shoes in the trash.

He's feeling a lot better when he rejoins Tony in his workshop. It doesn’t surprise Steve to find him observing the kittens sleeping in their box. 

"Still in a food daze?" Steve asks.

"Or slumbering, anyway. But they need to eat in a few." Tony has set a countdown that shows fourteen minutes and something seconds. "Do you think they'll wake up on their own?"

"I think so. If not, I'm pretty sure we need to wake them," Steve says, rolling a chair next to Tony's to gaze at the babies too. 

Tony smiles at him. "That's better. You didn't smell like roses for a while there."

"The joys of dumpster diving," Steve says with a half smile, scrunching his nose.

"Thank you, by the way," Tony says, "For rescuing them. I still cannot believe someone threw these precious babies in the trash."

"Yeah, that's terrible." The kittens are two out of so many animals who die with no one being the wiser. But at least they can help these two.

Steve notices that there's another box on Tony's workspace, with plexiglass walls and what he supposes are sensors. 

"You made them a new heating pad?" He was gone for less than thirty minutes. 

"Yeah. Just finished. It's crude, but has way more effective thermoregulation," Tony says. "I didn't want to wake them up in the transfer, but we can put them in after the next feeding."

"I will monitor the babies to ensure maximum comfort," FRIDAY says, with a sense of gravitas that has Steve smiling. He wouldn't be surprised if the kittens are now even more of a priority than the Avengers for Tony. Which Steve doesn't mind at all. It's adorable. 

"That you will," Tony says with a nod. He points at the flyer he got from Doctor Martin. "I set up the correct temperatures to keep as they grow up. But this is just temporary. I have some ideas to make the incubator better. The next one will have water circulation in the cushion, I think it will soothe them. Also, did you know that adult cats' hearts beat 140 times per minute when relaxed? I'll put in a little speaker. Hopefully it’ll feel like being close to their mama."

Steve is so engrossed in listening to Tony and watching the kittens that he doesn’t notice DUM-E's approach. He jumps in surprise when the robot's head gently whirs near his ear.

"Jeez," Steve says, a hand on his heart that is now racing.

"DUM-E!" Tony snaps. "What did I say?"

The way DUM-E wilts as he rolls back is heartbreaking.

"You want to see the kittens?" Steve asks.

He immediately perks up, but Tony sighs heavily. "He means well, Steve, he always does, but I can't risk him coming too close."

"Ah, no, come on," Steve says, taking pity on DUM-E, who looks inconsolable. "I agree that he can't touch them before they're bigger, but he could watch them at least?"

"Fine," Tony says. "Come here, DUM-E. But do not, and I cannot stress this enough, do NOT touch the box or the kittens."

DUM-E chirps and gets carefully in position to focus his camera on the sleeping newborns. 

"That's it, good boy," Tony says, caressing his strut. "I know you're just curious, buddy, but they are very, very fragile. If they break, I can’t repair them." DUM-E makes a distressed noise at that. It must sound terrifying to him, that Tony admits to not being able to fix something. "I know, it's scary. So only Steve and I can touch them, OK?" This time DUM-E clearly assents. "No touching, no water, no food, no foam, no toy, no nothing. Only me or Steve, no one else comes close."

"I think he got it," Steve says, seeing how DUM-E is all but vibrating in place, more restrained than he's ever seen him when he’s doing something. "What about having FRIDAY project images of the kittens on a screen he can watch?"

"That's a great idea. FRIDAY?" Tony asks.

"Got it, Boss." A virtual window pops up ten feet away, closer to DUM-E's charging station, and the robot immediately rolls towards it, chirping. "Yes, I can display the data points that I am monitoring," FRIDAY adds. A few graphs and numbers pop up, that Steve supposes are temperature, heartbeats and respiration.

"They speak to each other?" Steve had never realized that DUM-E communicated with the AI intelligibly.

"Yes," Tony says. "DUM-E's vocabulary is limited, but they manage."

"Cool," Steve says. Every time he learns about Tony's creations, he's a little more amazed.

In the box, the black kitten has started stirring, and soon starts meowing. It makes Tony smile. "She always has something to say."

"Yeah," Steve says. "Is that why she's your favorite?"

Tony scoffs. "Har har. I don't have a favorite," he protests, but pets her anyway.

"Sure you don't," Steve says fondly. "I'll heat the milk."

"Got it. I'll sterilize and fill the syringes when it's ready," Tony says. He's already unpacked all the supplies on one of his lab benches. After they both caress the black kitten's head – Steve can't help himself either – they get to work.

**

"You should go sleep, I can take the next two shifts alone," Tony says.

Steve just finished wiping his little charge, the black one this time, and makes a non-committal sound. The last ten hours have been fantastic, and Steve loathes having to leave the bubble of care they’ve built here in Tony's workshop. Steve's joke about having a favorite has prompted Tony into feeding the kittens alternately, to ensure equal bonding. Steve keeps saying it's to spread the love, which makes Tony grin. 

"Yeah, I know, I don't want to leave them either," Tony says, when Steve doesn't immediately agree to go to bed. "But what's the use of having two people to care for them if we both stay up? It's past 1 AM, and I'm used to working until sunrise. You can come back for the 7 AM feeding and I'll catch some shut-eye then."

It makes sense. "Fine," Steve agrees.

He puts the sleeping kitten next to her sister in the third incubator, which they built in between feedings. It has the heartbeat noise, precisely heated water circulation, an extra soft lining, and Steve even has an app to see the kittens' live cam on his phone. It looks very comfortable. Steve has seen Tony do manual work often, it's what he does, but it's the first time that Steve has been so involved in a project. As a sounding board, yes, but they made the hotbed together, and he's very proud of the result. Steve wouldn't be surprised if Tony already has ideas to improve it, though.

"FRIDAY, wake me at twenty to seven," Steve says. "But Tony, go to bed right after the five o'clock feeding, don't wait for me."

The babies are small, but they're fiercely determined to live, of that Steve is sure. In between meals, they sleep contentedly.

"I’m keeping watch," FRIDAY pipes up.

"Okay, deal," Tony says. "I'll rest after the 5 AM meal."

"Excellent," Steve says. "Sleep in as long as you need."

He's turning to leave when Tony catches Steve's arm. His face is soft and open, so beautiful, and Steve's heart thumps.

"I wanted—" Tony starts, then squeezes his bicep. "Thank you. For saving them, but also for helping out. I couldn't have done it without you."

"It's my pleasure," Steve says. "I'm very happy to help."

He'd do anything for Tony, and by now, he’s very attached to the babies too. Steve is as invested in their well-being as Tony is.

Steve goes straight to bed when he reaches his floor, but then spends several long minutes staring at his ceiling. He _is_ tired, but wired all the same; it's been a surreal day. He hoped that bringing Tony lunch would give him a few moments of his time, and unexpectedly, it turned in twelve hours with the man, and more to come. It's like a contact high, which makes Steve snort at himself. He's so gone, it's almost sad.

When the clock shows one-thirty and sleep still eludes him, Steve gives in and opens his new kitten app. There are the babies, sleeping soundly, and being their awfully cute selves. It's probably only because of his enhanced hearing, but Steve can hear the drum of the fake heartbeat, the swish of the water circulating, and sounds from the workshop. 

"DUM-E? Bring me the 5/64 key, please," Tony says. "Thank you."

Steve wonders if he's working on something for the kittens and is surprised at the pang of disappointment that comes with it. It's not like he can stop Tony from inventing, but he thought they were in this adventure together for now. 

"FRIDAY, is it possible to pan out?" Steve asks.

"Of course, Captain," she says. The way she stops zooming out once Tony is in the frame is proof of how transparent Steve is.

"Thanks." Steve says, almost guiltily. Is he invading Tony's privacy? Surely FRIDAY would object if he was. Or tell Tony, which makes Steve squirm in embarrassment. But she stays quiet as Tony continues his work.

On the screen, Tony is not revolutionizing the industry of incubators for small animal fostering, but has resumed working on War Machine's boot. Steve smiles, irrationally happy that it has nothing to do with the kittens. By Tony's elbow, DUM-E keeps turning his camera towards the incubator, though he doesn't roll closer. It's not subtle at all, and Tony eventually relents.

"You want to see the babies again?" he asks. DUM-E chirps with enthusiasm. "Fine. Easy does it, like last time."

Steve watches with fondness as the robot approaches with utmost care, his head blocking the kittens from view. He makes an interrogative noise.

"They're doing great. Me and Steve, we make a wonderful team for this," Tony says.

They really do, and it fills Steve's chest with warmth. In fact, they make a very good team in so many situations, on and off the battlefield. He'd bet everything he has they'd be great together in other ways, but that's just a dream.

DUM-E goes back to helping Tony, and Steve keeps his phone propped against a pillow, watching them work. The sounds from the workshop and the incubator are soothing, and Steve feels his eyes getting heavier at last.

**

DUM-E is guarding the door when Steve reaches the lab. He then rolls towards the table where the incubator is set and trills approvingly as Steve follows.

"Got it, DUM-E," Steve says. "I'm on time, no worries."

Heck, Steve is fifteen minutes early, since he woke before the alarm. There is a familiar head of dark hair on the cot in the corner, which makes him smile. Tony listened and went to sleep before Steve took the 7 AM shift, but not in his bedroom. It figures that he wouldn't be able to go far.

In the box, the kittens are bumping into each other, searching for Tony, maybe. From the documentation Steve and Tony got from Doctor Martin, they mostly use touch and smell to navigate the world around them, and their eyes won't open for another week or so. 

"Whose turn is it?" Steve asks them in jest.

"The black kitten has eaten last," FRIDAY says.

"Then white it is."

By now, preparing the syringes and the milk is almost automatic, having done it five times before going to bed. Feeding the two babies one after the other is different, but it goes very well. Being left hungry and alone in the incubator outrages the black kitten, and she meows until it's her turn.

"Shhh," Steve tells her when he’s halfway through with the first baby. "It won't be long, darling." Her sister is gulping down the formula fast, as she's been doing from the start. She's one ravenous kitten, that's for sure. 

"There's no rush," he reasons as she sucks determinedly. Steve's more confident now, but during the first few feedings, he was terrified that she'd take too much and choke. 

When she's finished and cleaned, Steve switches for the black baby, who only cries out louder knowing chow is coming. 

"Shhh," Steve repeats. It's not that loud, he knows, but he wouldn't want her to wake Tony. "I've got you. Here we go."

**

A feeding every two hours is a routine that repeats far too often, but they have it down to a science after the third day. Steve gives Tony breaks if Stark Industries requires him, and he takes at least one shift off for himself to train and video chat with the others at the Compound as he remotely organizes training exercises. Nat has taken the on-site leadership role with ease, and with only a minimal amount of teasing and knowing looks. To be fair, Steve and Tony being sudden cat dads is highly amusing for the entire team, and they keep requesting pictures. 

But apart from the brief interludes for their work lives and the obligatory sleeping breaks, he and Tony are almost always together. It fills Steve with delight. He hangs around the shop going over his reports, and in the evening, they move the incubator to Tony's living room so they can watch movies. 

"Ever had a pet before?" Tony asks at one point.

"No," Steve says. "Couldn't, with my asthma. I tried to keep butterflies between the two planes of my room window one summer. There was a three-inch space that made quite a nice house for them, I thought, with holes for ventilation and all. I think I was eight years old."

"Yeah?" Tony says, smiling. "How did that go?"

"They were pretty, but Ma convinced me they'd be happier free." It had bummed him out, to be frank.

"Makes sense," Tony nods.

Steve grins. "Let’s just say that Ma wasn't impressed when, a month later, there were dozens of caterpillars in my window sill."

Tony chuckles. "Oh shit."

"Yeah. I never saw the eggs. We cleaned them up. But that was pretty much it. You?" he asks Tony.

"Nah," Tony says, stretching as he shakes his head. "I asked. For a cat, by the way. But Howard said it would distract me from my work. It's true, I didn't have a lot of free time."

From what Steve can remember reading in his file, Tony left for college very young. "I guess you couldn't bring it to school," he says. 

"To school?" Tony seems confused. "I hadn't started school yet."

Now it's Steve who's lost. "What? How old were you?"

"Four," Tony says, with a one-shoulder shrug. 

But that makes no sense. 

"Distract you from your work?" Steve repeats. "At four?"

"Yeah, that summer I spent some time with Bill Gates – Dad's idea. Bill was, what, nineteen? He was in Harvard if I remember correctly, and he didn't quite know what to do with me at first. But he showed me about computers and all that. And then I built a circuit board," Tony says.

Steve opens and closes his mouth like a fish several times, at a loss to say anything that isn't cursing on Tony's behalf. Not distracted from his work at _four years old?_.

Tony misunderstands Steve's reaction as surprise at the achievement. He snorts, amused. 

"They made it a bigger deal than it had to be, it was just a basic motherboard. Don't get me wrong, though, it was fun."

"One day, I'll stop being surprised at how much of an asshole your father was," Steve says, crossing his arms on his chest. 

Tony reels back in surprise, frowning. "What?"

"There are lots of reasons to refuse a pet to a four-year-old kid. But that it will distract him from his work isn't one of them," Steve argues. "Did he hire you at Stark Industries when you turned five?"

That makes Tony laugh. "Not exactly. But he arranged it so we'd feature on the front page of Popular Mechanics for the V8 engine I built at six. If I remember right, it gave the stocks quite a boost."

And he finds it funny.

"Asshole," Steve grinds out and Tony beams.

"If you only knew how vindicating it is to hear you say that."

And that's another thing. Steve is furious that Howard used him, and the whole Captain America schtick, to bring down a young Tony. He hates it more than pretty much anything else in the world. 

"I never really liked him, anyway," Steve says, just to widen Tony's smile. 

It's not entirely true. At the time, Steve got along with Howard fine, but he wouldn't say they were very close friends either. He sure values Tony as a person a lot more. 

"Music to my ears," Tony sing-songs. "Did you catch that FRIDAY?"

"Yes, Boss," the AI replies. "You know I've got your back."

"You do, my girl, you do," he says with affection.

"Speaking of your girls," Steve says, “I'll have to tap out after the next feeding, but I'll come back at five."

"Our girls, you mean," Tony says, stretching to peer inside the box. The declaration makes Steve's heart soar. He thinks of the cats as Tony's, he's so protective of them, and so being included is a big deal. 

"Yeah, our tiny babies," Steve says fondly. He loves the two little furballs, and co-parenting them with Tony is a gift that keeps on giving, "Speaking of, we should give them names."

Until now they've called them ‘the babies’ and other endearments like ‘darling’ and ‘sweetheart’, but there’s been no semblance of names apart from ‘the white one’ and ‘the black one’. 

Tony hums. "That's an important decision."

"Says the man who named a robot U and another DUM-E," Steve teases.

"Don't diss my children's names," Tony replies seriously, "They fit then, and they still do now."

"Agreed. Any ideas?" Steve asks.

"I haven't thought about it," Tony says, leaning in to watch the kittens in the box. "Not really. Do you have any suggestions?"

Steve had considered Salt and Pepper, but he won't suggest it for obvious reasons. "I don't know. Famous sisters?"

"Like Venus and Serena?" Tony asks. 

He hadn't considered living stars, but it's an idea. "Maybe. Or in mythology? Movies?"

"Like the Muses or the Graces?" Tony cocks his head, considering. Steve doesn't know why he's constantly surprised when Tony shows him that he's knowledgeable in subjects other than science and pop culture. 

"That’s an idea." Steve could see it, for sure. 

"Or Lilo and Nani," Tony says, grinning at him.

Steve smiles back. "Or that." 

"The little black gremlin is more Stitch than Lilo, though," Tony says. 

"It doesn't have to be sisters, it was just a suggestion." 

"I really have no idea at the moment," Tony says. "How about you name one, and I'll name the other?"

"Okay, but which?" 

They still alternate when feeding the babies, but in his head, Steve can't help thinking of the black kitten as Tony's. They have clearly bonded, and Steve's been extra attentive to the white in return. But it feels wrong to say they have favorites. Is this how parents feel with actual human children, too? Probably.

"Good question." Tony is visibly dealing with the same conundrum.

"I can help," FRIDAY pipes up.

"You want to name the babies?" Tony asks in surprise.

"No, but I can assist with whom names which kitten. I will generate a random number between one and ten, associated with a kitten. You and Captain Rogers may then choose a number at your turn, and the closest to my pick has to name that cat."

"That's an excellent suggestion, thank you," Steve says.

"Yes, good idea, Fri. Ready?"

"All set, Boss. What are your choices?" FRIDAY asks.

Tony gestures at Steve, a clear _after you_.

"Nine," Steve says.

"Three," Tony adds.

"The number was eight. Captain Rogers, you get to name the white kitten."

Steve feels an instant wave of relief – which he sees echoed on Tony's face – and smiles widely. "Excellent, thank you, FRIDAY."

"Yeah, that's cool," Tony says. "So, what's your choice?"

"I need to think about it some more," Steve says, picking his little girl up. She's started squirming, and it's almost time for her meal. 

Tony shakes his head as he picks the black kitten and brings her up for a kiss between her ears. "You're the one who insisted on naming them!"

"It doesn't have to be right this moment!" Steve says. "Just soon. What do you think?" he asks the baby. She's holding her head a lot better now. 

"Oh my God!" Tony exclaims, nose to nose with his own. He sounds excited though, a smile splitting his face, and not alarmed at all. How can he be so cute? 

"What?" Steve asks, curious.

"We have eyeballs!" he says, turning the kitten towards Steve. 

They were expecting the kittens to open their eyes any time now, as they're almost a week old, but it's thrilling nonetheless.

"We have!" Steve says excitedly, reaching for the little face and scratching under her chin. Her eyes are blue, as expected, and still hazy, but definitely opened. "Hey there, beautiful!"

"What a good baby!" Tony says, bringing her back close to his chest. "So precocious."

Steve laughs. "It's the normal age to—" he starts.

"Shush. Never call my daughter average again," Tony interrupts, mock-offended. 

"Alright," he concedes with a chuckle. "She's just that awesome, then. Which makes me wonder… what are you waiting for?" he challenges the other one.

The white kitten doesn't open her eyes, not even one, but she meows anyway, and him and Tony laugh.

"Hungry, huh?" Steve asks. She has a stronger appetite than her sister – up to 6 cc now, while the other is at 4 – and is gaining weight more rapidly. She screams again as if she understands.

"If her majesty demands, I'll prepare the feast," Tony says. He extends the black kitten to Steve, who takes her from his hand, and places the two on the couch cushion beside him. The one with open eyes is not tracking yet, but she's valiantly trying to look around. Her sister is frustrated that food has not instantly appeared. Steve grabs his phone and records the moment for posterity.

**

Throughout the feeding, Tony keeps calling the black kitten – and Steve's in addition – a steady string of possible names, as if she'll respond. 

"Baby, but like permanently? No, too generic. Cee? For Carbon? Maybe. Raven? Nah, too predictable." He toys with a little paw for a moment. "Jellybean? Oh, I like that. Mmm." As if inspired by food, he then rapidly tries a series of other names in the same vein. "Godiva? Kona? Java?" A pause. "Wednesday would fit you."

"As in the Addams Family?" Steve asks.

"Yeah."

Tony adores that movie, they've watched it several times now. Steve likes it a lot too, and he _might_ have fantasized about Tony being as affectionate with him as Gomez is with Morticia. Their fictional girl is pretty awesome too, and it would suit a black kitten.

"True, I can see it."

"Not sure though," Tony says. "Any ideas for yours?"

"I like Bella," Steve says. Tony had crooned at the babies in Italian a few days before, and the endearment had struck a chord in Steve's enamored heart. "But since you mentioned the Muses, it got me thinking and I keep coming back to Calliope." She held the highest rank, and sometimes the white kitten acts as if she's the most important being in the room. "Would you like that, Princess?" Steve asks the kitten, who's already finished with her two syringes of milk and is in a total food coma. "Calliope?"

"That's cute, I like it," Tony says. "She could have a longer title, too. Princess Bella Calliope, first of her name."

It sounds so right that Steve nods enthusiastically. "Yes, that's perfect. Callie for short."

"Callie it is!" Tony smiles back. He then snaps his fingers. "Oh, got it!"

"Yeah?" Steve asks.

"Steve," Tony says, extending the black kitten towards him. Her little eyes are closed again, as she's fast asleep. "Meet Snowball."

It's such a Tony thing to do, to name a black cat Snowball, and not the white one. He looks so proud of himself, eyes dancing in amusement, that Steve falls in love all over again.

"Hey there, Snowball," Steve says, leaning down to kiss her little head. He'd give anything to do the same to Tony's wrist only a few inches away. "Pleased to meet you."

**

Steve would appreciate it if the universe could give him a break, just for once. He glares at the phone that is vibrating on the table and wishes he could throw it at the wall.

"I don't think whoever that is will stop calling," Tony says, putting Callie back in the box. 

As always, Snowball is slower to feed, so Steve hasn't finished.

"It can wait," he protests. Five minutes and he'll be done.

"They're blowing up your phone today," Tony says. "It could be important, Steve."

Steve sighs. "I know."

He's had a feeling in the last two days that his time at the Tower is reaching its end. There's an assignment imminent; they've been chasing leads on a potential home-grown biological weapon for months now. Steve is now ninety percent sure that Natasha has found the people responsible and that they must strike soon. Organizing exercises from a distance has been fine, but this is a mission, and a crucial one at that.

"Give her over," Tony says, and it's with something very close to a pout that Steve lets him take the kitten and her syringe.

A quick look over the texts on his phone and Steve winces. Okay, so it's not strike soon, it's strike now.

"Duty calls?" Tony asks.

"Yeah." Steve hits redial and puts the phone to his ear.

"Finally!" Nat says as it connects. She sounds exasperated, and Steve knows there will be hell to pay for dodging her for the last hour. Irresponsible, maybe, but he knew this was coming, and he wanted at a few precious last minutes with the kittens. And Tony.

"I was busy," Steve says.

"Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but we have to move now. We have a hit on a time and location for a transaction in Portland. It might be our best shot to catch both the people making the weapon, or their broker, and a client."

"Good job. You're loading the Quinjet?" Steve can hear the team going through a checklist in the background.

"Yes, Sam went to get your suit and shield. We'll pick you up on the tower's helipad, ETA 20 minutes," Natasha says.

"Fine. See you then," Steve says before hanging up. 

During the conversation – that Tony tried and failed to look uninterested in – Snowball has joined her sister in the incubator, now full and cleaned up. "I'm sorry—" Steve starts.

"Please," Tony interrupts. "I'm amazed that you stayed here a whole week. We'll be fine, I've got the hang of it."

Steve almost confesses that he has no desire to go, that he wants to stay with Tony, but he can't. Tony had his heart broken just a few months ago; he doesn't need Steve being Too Much™.

"I'm sure you'll do great," Steve says instead. 

When he took on the kittens, Tony had said that he'd help foster them until they could find the sisters a new home. Frankly, Steve doesn't see him giving the kittens away, he's too attached; but this could very well be a bubble out of time for Tony too. He's a successful businessman, with an agenda that would make a world leader cry. Before long, he might not have time to devote to pets. 

"Don't give them away until I can say goodbye?" Steve asks.

Tony frowns. "Of course not. I wouldn't do that! And that's at a minimum twelve weeks from now. Are you going on a long mission?"

Steve shakes his head. "No. West Coast, I imagine a couple of days, tops." They'll want to stop the transaction, but also find the place where they're making the substance.

"Then there’s nothing to worry about," Tony reassures. "Babies, say goodbye to Uncle Steve."

The babies in question are fast asleep, though, so Steve leans in the box to kiss their little heads. So that is that. It was fun while it lasted.

"Be nice to Tony, children," he tells them. 

"You can come back, you know?" Tony says.

"Yeah?" He hadn't dared to ask.

Tony nods. "Anytime." 

Steve takes a picture of the two sisters sleeping face to face and immediately sets it as his phone's lock screen. 

"Okay then. See you soon."

**

Steve evaded most of his day job for a week, but the vacation is over. They break up the bioweapon deal, and take down the organization behind it, but it doesn't stop there. There is one crisis after the other, and Steve barely sleeps. It's for the best, because he doesn't have the occasion to sulk about the end of his time with Tony and the kittens too much. 

A week in, they're eating in the little dining room from their current safe house in Santa Cruz when Rhodes snort-laughs while looking at his phone. 

"What is it?" Nat asks.

"Look at that nerd," Jim says, passing his phone around.

"Awww," Sam coos. "Really cute."

Curious, Steve leans in, and sees a picture of Tony with a big grin, holding the two kittens under his chin. Sam meant the cats were cute – and they are, the two of them with their blue eyes opened now – but Tony is gorgeous. 

"He looks happy," Natasha remarks.

"They keep him busy," Jim says. "Seems good for him."

"He's great with them," Steve says, reluctantly passing the phone to Vision. 

Tony had shared pictures of the sisters with Steve here and there since he left, but it's always just the cats. He'd love to have the one with Tony. And for all that Rhodes has been Tony's best friend for decades, Steve is a little jealous that the kittens aren't a Steve-and-Tony thing only, which he realizes is stupid. Steve checks his own phone and sees that Tony sent him a new picture too: Calliope is on top of Snowball, who seems to be crying out in distress. No Tony in the photo at all, though, which is a bummer.

**OUT - SR - 19:48:** Thanks! I love it! Poor Snowball.

**IN - Tony - 19:49:** Yeah, your princess couldn't care less that she's smushing her sister.

As always, it makes Steve feel special when Tony answers almost immediately. 

"Did you get one too?" Rhodes asks.

Steve realizes that he's been grinning like a fool at his phone. More from the text than from the picture, but no one needs to know that.

"Yeah," he says, bringing the picture up to fill the screen and showing it to the Team. It generates another round of cooing.

"Who knew you and Stark could be such softies for furballs," Sam says.

"Please, they both have marshmallow centers," Nat says. 

"If you think they're cute in pictures, you won’t believe how hard it is to resist them in person," Steve says. 

He's about to put his phone away when a pop-up alert comes on. It's a message that asks Steve if he wants to accept a shared picture from James Rhodes. He hurries to accept, and it's the earlier one, with Tony and the kittens.

"Thanks," he says, smiling at Jim.

"My pleasure." Rhodes has a knowing look.

Steve is certain that Jim has detected his crush on Tony, and has known for a while. That he shares the photograph like this feels like a blessing of some sort, and it makes Steve inordinately happy. And Rhodes isn't a cruel man, far from it. He wouldn't encourage Steve's infatuation if he thought there was no chance of an eventual reciprocity, right?

It's hard to resist making the picture of Tony and the babies the background of his phone. The only thing that stops him is knowing that anyone seeing it would tease him mercilessly. No one needs to know that Steve gazes at it every night when he goes to bed (and hopes and hopes and hopes).

**

Steve's phone is ringing when he gets out of his shower the morning after they get back to the compound. It's a thrill to see 'Tony' on the caller ID as he picks it up.

"Hey, hi!" 

"Hi, Cap!" Tony asks. "I'm not waking you up, am I?"

"Not at all," Steve says.

It's 8 o'clock, but he's been out of bed for three hours already, including a complete thirty-mile run. Steve crashed right after they got home the previous afternoon, but he woke up ten hours later with his mind racing. Now that he's back, and they’ve earned several days of downtime to compensate for two weeks of absolute madness, how can he manage to go back to the Tower? Hopefully, he'll find an angle through this call, maybe even for today.

"I hope you don't mind, but I read the report on Santa Cruz and La Paz. Looked like a pain in the ass," Tony says,

"I don't mind, no," Steve says. In fact, he likes that Tony is looking into their ops. Maybe he misses being part of the team and it could entice him back. "And yeah, it was tricky," he admits.

The Bolivian government asked the Avengers’ help when a part of their military went rogue. They debated on the legitimacy of helping, since it felt a lot like intruding in an internal struggle. Rhodes was very vocal on how it wasn't their place, which Natasha countered saying it was hypocritical to pretend the United States didn't do it all the time. But then the rebels started bombing crowded places, with powerful weapons reminiscent of the Chitauri tech, and it was an easy decision after that. 

"They must have had help," Tony says.

"I think so too, maybe friends and family," Steve says. Some rogues didn't wear their old uniforms without patches, and since they looked like any other citizen, it made it even harder to ferret them out.

"No, I mean to get the weapons. I'd bet the Avengers ruined a party set up by one of our very own American agencies," Tony says.

"Are you serious?" Steve doesn't want to believe that, but it's possible.

"There's that vibe, you know? The Bolivian president has clashed with the current administration, and elections are coming up. Equally plausible is that they have a shady dealer of Chitauri tech based here in America. As you know, I took over the Department of Damage Control with the federal government, but we couldn't round up _everything_. May it be door number one or number two, those rebels had a facilitator." 

"I suppose so. It's worth investigating," Steve agrees. "Thanks, Tony."

Steve misses having Tony around for many reasons, but his insights on recalibrating field situations onto a larger political chessboard is definitely one of them. He often has interesting points that they've all overlooked.

"My pleasure. I'm sure Natasha would be great at looking into that," Tony says.

"She would." Natasha excels with those tasks. "Do you think it could wait a few days? Or it will be too late to find evidence?" 

"Good question," Tony says. "With the way you crushed the rebels so publicly, I'd say that no one expects a paper trail follow-up. Why?"

"We all need some R&R. If I put Nat on this now, she'll dive right in." 

Steve stretches his neck and shoulders until a vertebra pops and then lets his head fall back. He's still tired too, even after a full night of sleep.

"Oh, yeah, she would. I think it can wait. What about you?" Tony asks. "Anything planned?"

It's a good thing they're on the phone and not on a video call, because Steve can feel his cheeks heat. He can't invite himself to the Tower, right? Would that sound too desperate? But then again, Tony assured him he could come back anytime. 

"Actually—" He must have waited for too long, because Tony cuts over him and speaks at the same time.

"You could come over," he offers.

"Yeah?" Steve says, certain that his smile is taking over his entire face. 

"Of course! Don't you miss the babies?"

"I do," Steve says, vibrating with happiness. Tony asked him to come first. "I miss them a lot." He misses spending time with Tony even more.

"Then come over whenever!" Tony sounds chipper too. 

It's true that he's been feeding the sisters every two, three hours, and then four hours all by himself for two weeks now. He must look forward to taking a break, and not necessarily to seeing Steve in particular. It's okay though, Steve doesn't mind; taking care of the kittens is a way to dote on Tony at the same time. Which he misses and wants to do, anyway.

"I'll be there soon," Steve says.

"Great! And you can stay as long as you want!"

"Thanks." Steve is already trying to extend his stay as much as possible. He'll grab everything he can get. "I'll pack my bag and hit the road, then. See you later!"

"Awesome!" Tony sounds excited, which warms Steve's heart. "Later!"

**

Just before he leaves the compound, his backpack filled with gifts for the kittens and a few changes of clothes, Steve runs into Sam and Rhodes in the rec room.

"Hey," Steve says, cursing himself for going through the communal rooms instead of taking a detour and by walking outside. It's not that he wants for his trip to be a secret, but he'd planned to email in the afternoon. On his terms, and out of direct teasing range.

"Hi, Cap," Rhodes says. He pauses his conversation with Sam and tilts his head to the side upon noticing the bag. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah. To help with the kittens," Steve says, with what he hopes looks like a casual shrug.

"Oh, right, the kittens," Sam replies with a smirk that rubs Steve the wrong way. As if the kitties are just an excuse, which they are _not_. 

"Really," Steve defends himself, bristling. "They still need to be fed around the clock. I think Tony deserves a break after looking after them alone for two weeks."

"Okay, okay," Sam says, raising his hands up in surrender. Clearly he thinks Steve is overreacting at the tease. "Nice of you to go help."

"I'm sure Tony will appreciate it," Rhodes adds with a half smile. He looks a lot more supportive, at least, and it's a confidence boost, just like the picture sharing had been.

"Well, he asked," Steve says while smiling in return. He's still thrilled that it came from Tony and that he didn't have to awkwardly ask to go back.

"There you go," Rhodes says, his own smile widening. He doesn't seem surprised at all. "Have fun!"

"Thanks," Steve says, throwing an apologetic look Sam's way. He shouldn't have snapped. "You guys rest, alright? It's been a rough two weeks."

"No worries," Sam says. "We'll take it easy."

"Excellent." Steve gives them a brief wave – he wants to go now – and starts moving towards the exit. "I'll email later, I don't know how long I'll be at the tower for, yet."

"Got it. Bye, Cap," Rhodes says.

Steve is just out of the room when he hears the conversation between Sam and Jim pick up. They don't realize he can hear them from that far away and through a door.

"Do you think he realizes how he's crushing on Tony? Badly?" Sam asks.

It almost makes Steve stumble. Is he _that_ obvious?

"Oh, Steve knows," Rhodes says. "If he ever plans to do anything about it is something else entirely."

Which is a fair assessment. Since he admitted his crush to himself, Steve has wondered if getting romantically and/or physically closer to Tony was a smart idea. It's in all of his daydreams and most of the ones in the night, sure, and he wants it with every fiber of his being. But what if their relationship soured? It could be a disaster of epic proportions for the Avengers. Are Steve's feelings true, and not just an infatuation with Tony Stark™? Does Tony want him back? Steve cringes thinking about the malaise a confession would bring if Tony did not return his feelings. And what if sex is the only thing Tony wants to add to their relationship? Is Steve ready to become friends with benefits? On one hand, he desires Tony so much, and the sex would be great, he's certain of it. But would having only a fraction of Tony be enough? So yes, Steve is tentative and Rhodes has read him right.

Whatever happens or doesn’t happen between him and Tony, though, Steve is confident it won't be in the next few days. He's not ready for it, at least; there is still some soul searching to do. But he can absolutely go enjoy some time with Tony and the babies as he does so.

** 

"They’ve changed a lot," Tony says as he leads Steve to his workshop. He's bouncing, full of energy, which is great. Hell, the bags under his eyes are all but gone, so caring for the kittens clearly hasn't been too hard on him. It's a bit callous, but it's almost a disappointment, since Steve saw himself arriving like a savior to give relief. On the other hand, it's even better to see Tony looking so happy. 

"Yeah, I saw the pictures."

"I'm sending too many pics, huh?" Tony says with a self-derisive chuckle. "Sorry about that. People showing their pets or kids at any occasion used to annoy me. Now I get it."

"It's not too much!" Steve assures. "I love getting them, I swear. You could send some every day and I wouldn't grow tired."

Tony looks happy about that. "Yeah?"

"Definitely." Steve hopes that Tony will take him up on that.

"Okay, cool," Tony says with a wide smile. "They are awfully cute." 

"They are. And it's nice to see you again, too," Steve says, pleased when it makes Tony beam at him.

Tony has pushed around some of his equipment in the lab to build the sisters a play area surrounded by knee-high Plexiglass, about six by six feet. There is a shallow litter box in one corner, right next to a lacquered wooden crate that has a small opening which serves as a door. That's where the kittens must be hiding at the moment; DUM-E is hovering over the box and chirps excitedly upon seeing Steve, then points at it.

"They have a house?" Steve asks.

"Yeah, it's hotter in there, 75 degrees as recommended by the vet," Tony says. "They like to sleep in it, without this big weirdo looming right over their heads." DUM-E droops at that.

"All cats like boxes, or that's what I've heard," Steve says. 

Tony mounted the top on hinges, and Steve's about to go walk over and open it to see the kittens, asleep or not, when Tony extends his arm and stops him.

"No, wait a second. Where are my little ones?" Tony calls out, then does kissing noises. "Come on out, gremlins!"

Steve grins when there's immediate meowing from the box. He's absolutely certain that it's Snowball, even if it's a lot louder and affirmative than the last time Steve heard her. And lo and behold, after a few seconds, a small black head with round blue eyes pops out of the house, yelling still.

"There's my little demon!" Tony says. "Come out, baby!"

"Hey Snowball," Steve says, crouching next to the enclosure. "Isn't that a pretty girl!"

He's about to reach for her when she stands up on slightly shaky legs and stumbles towards his outstretched hand with determination. Steve's jaw drops.

"Oh my God!" he exclaims. "They're walking? How could you not send me a video immediately!?" 

Tony laughs. "It hasn’t been long, and I hoped it would be a surprise. Your face was worth it."

"I have recorded their first steps, Captain Rogers," FRIDAY says with pride. "I can share the footage."

"Please do," Steve says, heart melting anew when he sees Calliope peek out of the house. The sisters are a lot fluffier than they used to be, and she looks like a small cloud. "Hey, princess," Steve says, "Come out so I can see you too." 

She follows Snowball out, revealing that she's much larger. 

"Wow, she still has an appetite, huh?" Steve says.

"Yeah, she's a third heavier than her sister. In fact, Doc Martin said they're on opposite ends of a regular growth curve," Tony says as he calls Snowball over, who continues meowing with insistence. "By the way, he hates when I call him that and says it's neither funny nor original."

"They saw the vet?" Steve asks, scooping Callie up. It's crazy how much she's grown; she's approximately three times larger than the size they were when Steve and Tony first found them. She's still tiny, though, and thoroughly adorable.

"Yeah, he came over two days ago. The babies were due for deworming meds, and he said he was happy to do a home visit, being almost next door anyway. They're in perfect health," Tony says with pride.

"Excellent, and I'm not surprised. You take such great care of them," Steve says. Callie is wiggling in his hand and is probably hungry (when is she not, though?) He puts her down for the moment and pets Snowball, who is irate at not getting attention. "Those kittens are damn lucky, for sure."

The praise makes Tony fidget, looking down as he preps the kitten formula. He uses a lot more than they did when Steve last was here – another thing that changed. And is Tony blushing? It's the first time Steve notices a slight tint to his cheeks. It's the cutest Tony has ever looked, and Steve marvels at it. Who would have thought that the way to make Tony Stark blush was to compliment him on his kitten parenting skills? 

"Thanks," Tony mumbles instead of boasting, which Steve would have guessed would be the reaction if Tony still showboated around him. In fact, Tony looks uncomfortable by the praise, or maybe he’s so pleased by it that he doesn't know how to react. Steve lobs a distraction his way that will allow Tony to bounce back.

"So, did you give the vet another absurd amount of money?" Steve asks with an eyebrow raise. He knows Tony, and he's convinced of it.

"I wouldn't call it an absurd amount of money," Tony replies, safely back in his cocky persona as he rolls his eyes for show. "In fact, the Doc refused to let me compensate him. Insisted on it over and over."

"But you did anyway," Steve affirms. What isn't a ludicrous sum for Tony probably fits that same definition for regular, or even rich people. And definitely for Doctor Martin.

"I did not pay for the vet visit," Tony says, putting a hand on his heart, trying to look innocent.

"The clinic received a generous anonymous donation to support their new program offering low-cost vet services for qualifying low income pet owners," FRIDAY pipes up.

"Of course they did," Steve says, smiling at Tony, who shrugs at being ratted out. "A new program?"

"They put it in place last week," FRIDAY says.

"I have nothing to do with that," Tony says, crossing his heart over his black t-shirt. It's a nice one, looking new, and fitted just right to showcase Tony's shoulders and arms. "They're decent people, deserving of funding for their good deeds."

Surely they set the program up in part with Tony's money from their first visit, so to say he has nothing to do with it is probably a lie. But Steve lets it go.

"So they use bottles now?" Steve says, moving to stand next to Tony, who's filling the bottles up.

"Yes, faster this way," Tony says. His motions are practiced and Steve longs to help. "Snowball is at about ten milliliters, Callie’s at fourteen. Do you mind weighing them before we start?"

"Of course not," Steve says, going to the playpen to grab the kittens. "Come on children, chow time!"

***

It's easy and comfortable to fall back into a routine with Tony and the kittens. The feedings are further apart, but the girls are so much more responsive now that they spend a lot of time with them, anyway. One of Steve's favorite new tasks is gently brushing them with a soft toothbrush to simulate grooming. 

But it's not only the kittens. Steve spends the weekend hanging out with Tony, and they have a fantastic time. Before Steve is entirely ready for it, three days have passed and work calls. It's with a heavy heart that he packs his bag and goes for a last visit to the workshop.

"Ready to go?" Tony asks when he raises his head and sees Steve in the doorway. He's working on Rhodes' armor again.

"Yeah," Steve admits, putting his backpack on the ground and striding to the enclosure. 

Spotting no visible furballs, he crouches near their box and opens up the lid. Snowball has flopped right on top of Callie, but they are both fast asleep. Steve takes a picture to add to his growing collection, and closes the lid. 

"Thanks for the help," Tony says. "Very appreciated."

"I'd say you have everything under control." Steve's not sure the excuse to come over to help will hold much longer.

"Still," Tony says with a shrug. "It's more fun to do it with you."

Steve grins. "Happy to hear that. I had a great time."

Tony smiles back at him and for long seconds they just stand there like idiots, watching each other. It's a charged moment, and Steve entertains for the first time that his crush might not be as one-sided as he's always thought. Then Steve's phone vibrates in his pocket and breaks the tension. 

"Sorry." It's Maria Hill. Steve debates sending her to voicemail, but eventually relents. "I've got to take this." Tony gestures for him to do so and Steve takes the call. "Rogers."

"Cap. Vision told me you're in the city?" Maria asks.

"Yes, but I was just leaving for the Compound. Why?"

"Fury has questions on your last report," she says.

That's the kind of shit that annoys Steve to no end. "He could have called himself. Or, I don't know, dropped by the Compound?"

"Why go to you when you're already in town? He'll see you in thirty minutes."

It's hard to refuse as Steve _is_ close by. "Fine, I'll be there." 

"Great. See you then," Maria says before hanging up.

"Summoned?" Tony asks when Steve sighs in frustration. He took enormous care to be as detailed as possible on his report on Bolivia when he was writing it on the plane coming back, in order to avoid just this. It was a sensitive mission for sure; Steve should have expected not to get out of a thorough review by Fury. SHIELD might officially be gone, but he's still pulling strings in the background.

"Yep," Steve says. 

"I don't miss that at all," Tony says with a half smile. 

Fair enough; dealing with Fury is a pain even on good days. Steve has to bite his tongue not to reply: _Yeah, but don't you miss us? We miss you._

He won't guilt trip Tony like that, though, so he keeps the words in and grabs his backpack instead, making for the door.

"I wouldn't either. I've got to go. Bye, Tony."

"Ciao. See you!"

**

Leading the Avengers doesn't allow Steve to spend all of his time at the Tower. He tries to get back into a regular groove, the one he'd carved for himself at the Compound once Tony had left, but his heart isn't in it. He seeks to sublimate his boredom with training, asking more from himself and the team, pushing harder and stronger. When the others start grumbling about it being too extreme, Steve relents and takes to running several times a day. The rhythm of it clears his head a bit, though never for long. Spending so much time with Tony has been like a drug; he's in withdrawal and has to shake it to be functional.

That said, when the occasion comes for another hit, Steve jumps on it.

"You could spend the weekend with us?" Tony offers, making Steve's heart sing.

"Yeah?"

"Told you to come any time," Tony says. More and more, Steve believes it. They're on a video call at the moment, and Tony's smile is as sincere as it can be. It's absolutely fantastic. Tony grabs Callie and makes her look at the camera. "Please, Steve, think of the children!"

Steve laughs. "You make it sound like we're separated parents."

"Yeah, Daddy's away all week, working hard," Tony says with a wink. Steve has been disturbed many times by comments on social media calling him Daddy, too often from people who are too young. He knows it's in jest, mostly a joke, but it’s sexual, and frankly not Steve's thing at all. But when Tony says it… it's different. Everything is different when it's Tony. Especially when it could be flirting (is it? He'd take it.)

"If anyone's the breadwinner in this family, it's you," Steve replies. 

Family, gosh, isn't that the dream? He wishes that it would be like that so much; him, Tony, and their fluffy children. Maybe real ones in a few years. One can hope!

"You're not wrong," Tony says with a grin. "So, you'll come over?"

"I'd love to." He really, really, really would. 

And he will, barring a catastrophe or urgent mission.

**

Every day, and sometimes more than once a day, Steve exchanges texts, pictures and calls with Tony. He's confident – and extremely happy – to say they are definitely friends, not just colleagues. It’s way more than simply being friendly with each other. It took a while, too long probably, and they had to learn each other's languages for it to happen. But now it's true.

Steve wouldn't say he can read Tony's moods and quirks correctly all the time, but he's getting really good at it. He thinks Tony understands him more too. Maybe, if they'd made more of an effort in the first few years of the Avengers’ existence, it would have been easier to work together without incessant squabbling and misunderstandings. It could have given Steve clues on how to better break the news of the Winter Soldier and Tony's parents. Or maybe there was just no proper way to do that, since it's so fucked up. But Steve is convinced they would have trusted each other more with important information and worries, and avoided Ultron. Heck, it's possible Tony wouldn't have quit. 

One night, before bed, while Steve goes through his text messages, he realizes that he's talked to Tony three times that day.

And not once was there a mention of the kittens.

** 

"Do you want to see something funny?" Tony asks.

"Of course," Steve says. He wonders if it will top Snowball dramatically crying earlier as she tried to get out of the weighting box, and falling over several times in the process. She's downright hilarious, and a total drama queen.

"Check this out." 

Tony has what looks like small jackets, which Steve realizes are harnesses. He puts a red vest on Callie, who swishes her little tail but doesn't protest much, even when Tony puts her back in the enclosure. Then he places the gold harness on Snowball, who squirms and yells with outrage in the few seconds it takes to affix it with velcro.

"She doesn't like it, huh?" Steve says.

"No. Are you ready?" Tony asks, kissing Snowball's head but talking to Steve, a smile curling his mouth. Goddamn. He's so gorgeous, it overwhelms Steve sometimes.

"Yes?" 

Once released on the floor, Snowball starts crouching very low to walk. Hell, she's crawling, which is indeed funny. And she seems mortally offended by the whole situation, with long pitiful meows.

"Oh my God," Steve breathes, then laughs out loud when she rolls on her side, wiggling. 

"She hates it. But if I put a leash on her and take her out, at least she explores," Tony says, clipping a gold lead to a hoop on her back. 

Tony then scoops the cat out and puts her on the workshop floor, out of the kitten's enclosure. Snowball then proceeds to crawl towards DUM-E, who is hovering close by. The robot looks thrilled, lowering its head closer to the floor so the kitten can investigate.

"Aw, that's so cute," Steve says. DUM-E is vibrating in excitement.

"Callie, on the other hand…" Tony says, smirking.

"What about her? Is she afraid of him?" Callie doesn't strike Steve as a nervous kitten at all, although she is more guarded than Snowball.

"Take her out, you'll see," Tony says.

Steve picks her up and affixes the leash, but when he puts her down outside of the pen she just… stays there. Even when Steve gently tugs at her. 

"Baby, don't you want to go say hello to DUM-E too?"

No movement at all, save for her tail moving in soft swishes. As for Snowball, she has reached the helper bot and is rearing up, trying to catch the camera with a small paw. For the moment, she seems to have forgotten about being constricted. 

"Callie, come on," Steve says, pulling a bit harder on the leash – which only drags the kitten along the floor about an inch. 

"She _refuses_ to walk with the harness on," Tony says. "I tried, but your princess is simply too good for that. She turns into a fluffy mop."

Surely it's not that bad? Callie probably just needs some reassurance. Steve crouches down and puts his hand under her belly so she's up on her paws once more. He then gently pulls on the leash again so that she can feel the tug, and moves her with it. She lets her legs drag without even trying to stand on her own.

"It's easy, Bella, just walk normally!" Steve tells her.

She's totally unimpressed, and as soon as Steve lets her go, Callie flops down once more, tail swishing in anger. It makes Steve chuckle. 

"You really don't like it, huh?"

"No, and it's hilarious. Hold this," Tony says to DUM-E, giving the robot Snowball's lead. 

The black kitten is crawling towards the back of the lab and DUM-E slowly follows, leash in his pincer. Steve's stomach lurches; what if DUM-E rolls over her by accident? He'd never mean to hurt the baby, but he _is_ clumsy sometimes. Steve's concern must show on his face because Tony speaks up.

"No worries. He has strict instructions never to move if either of the girls is less than a foot from him. I made it hard coding, and FRIDAY has overrides to stop him too. Same for U."

"I'm constantly watching them, Captain Rogers," FRIDAY confirms.

Steve relaxes and nods. "Good idea. Though I'm sure he's careful."

"So much," Tony says with pride. DUM-E makes a joyous sound at that. "Gimme," Tony tells Steve, asking for Callie's leash. " _Vieni Zucca, spostalo._ "

While Steve tried to be insistent but gentle, Tony just… drags her on the floor. Callie goes totally limp and lets it happen, as if it's the most terrible indignity she ever had to endure. Steve guffaws at the show and Tony grins at him. 

"Our beautiful children are dysfunctional, Steve," he says with a mock sigh.

Steve watches Callie being dragged, as previously described, like a fluffy mop on the pristine – thank God! – workshop floor. Meanwhile, Snowball is army-crawling like a goof. Heart full to bursting, Steve shakes his head.

"No. They’re perfect."

**

Steve is dozing off in the sun, enjoying a beautiful summer day. Or actually, he's _trying_ to enjoy a beautiful summer day, which would be easier if his rowdy teammates could keep quiet for once. But no; Sam, Rhodes and Thor are having a cannonball competition on the other side of the pool. The goal, as far as Steve can understand, is to get water on him. Not that he asked about it, or even moved from where he’s laying face-down on his chair, willing his back to pick up at least a bit of a tan. Steve pretends to ignore Sam and Jim, so they leave him alone. There's another big splash, which sends droplets on Steve's feet and has the peanut gallery cheering. Wanda is laughing and Steve smiles, hidden in the crook of his elbow where he's resting his head. He'll take getting wet if it makes them this happy.

"Nicely done!" Thor exclaims.

"Okay, agreed," Jim admits a few seconds later. "Good kinetic energy and well-aimed water direction."

"Yeah?" Sam says. "I told you I had this."

"And I can do it better," Jim challenges.

"As can I," Thor says.

"My turn first," says Jim. "Just watch me. I'm an engineer."

There are soft, barely discernible footsteps near Steve, and someone sits down in the lounge chair to his right. There are definitely several ice cubes in a glass, too.

"That's enough, boys," Natasha says. "One drop on me, and I drown the culprit."

"Aww, come on," Sam drawls. "The water's good."

"Proceed at your own risk," Nat says haughtily.

"I see how it is," a new voice pipes up from the Compound's sliding door that opens onto the terrace.

It's Tony, he's sure, and Steve raises his head so fast he almost gives himself whiplash. Tony is indeed here, in a black tank-top-and-shorts duo, always such a fantastic look on him. The nice arms on display distract Steve before he remembers that he shouldn't be staring.

"Pool parties are new, and I resent that I wasn't invited," Tony adds as he steps outside.

"Oh my God!" Wanda exclaims, and Steve grins when he sees what has caught her attention. 

Tony has the kittens on the leashes with him. Both girls have made a lot of progress since that first time Steve saw them trying out the harnesses, and are walking in front of Tony like queens.

"Anthony! This is an entrance worthy of my dear mother," Thor says. "You are only missing the chariot!"

"That's high praise, Bodhi, I am honored!" Tony says. "Everyone, meet Snowball and Princess Bella Calliope."

The cats are more interested in inspecting the plants and furniture on the patio than in greeting the humans, but it's not a problem because everyone goes to them.

"They are _adorable_ ," Wanda says, sitting on the ground and offering her hand in the hope they come closer.

"That they are," Nat says as she joins the others. She's staying further away, and Steve wonders if she doesn't like cats. Maybe she's allergic.

"How old are they?" Sam asks. He's still in the water, forearms crossed on the cement ledge as he examines the babies. 

"Twelve weeks old now," Steve says, having walked around the pool to join the others. Tony looks up and grins at him, which makes Steve's heart stutter. "Hi, Tony."

"Hi there," Tony replies. "And yeah, I can't believe it's been three months already."

"They've gotten big! Well, bigger," Rhodey says, scooping Snowball up. "How are you doing, Drama Llama?" On cue, she meows in return, making everyone laugh.

"You'd have seen that if you visited more, Gumdrop," Tony says. 

"It's true, they grow like weeds," Steve says. He's vindicated when Callie looks up at his voice and makes a beeline towards him. Heck, his cheeks might crack, he's smiling so widely. "Hey there, baby girl."

Wanda seems envious when Steve picks Callie up, and yeah, he's smug. He's learned that there's no better feeling than being deemed worthy by a cat. 

"She does look like a snowball," Wanda says.

As she grew up, Callie's fur has turned into a mid-long coat of very fine hair that puffs her up. It makes the joke and the contrast with her black – and very sleek – sister who sports the name Snowball even funnier in retrospect. 

"She does," Steve agrees with a wink at Tony, while kissing Callie's head. A Tony who looks extremely pleased with himself, it has to be said. He's rolling back on his heels with a smirk, knowing the punchline is about to come.

"Yeah, but this one is Snowball," Rhodey says, lowering the black kitten onto Wanda's lap, much to her delight.

" _He's_ Snowball?" she asks, eyebrows rising as she pets the kitten.

"She, they're both girls," Tony says. "And yeah, she's Snowball."

"Because Tony is ridiculous and should never be in charge of naming anything," Rhodey says.

"Come on, it's hilarious," Tony says, laughing.

"It is kind of funny," Sam says. Snowball has wiggled away and now wants to examine the pool. Tony gives the end of the leash to Wanda, who grins at him in thanks. 

"Hey, little one!" Sam says when Snowball stops to sniff his hand. Callie, on the other hand, is stretching in the crook of Steve's arm, and he bops her pink nose. She's purring, which thrills Steve to no end. She remembers him and wants her cuddles.

"How did they do in the car?" Steve asks.

"I'll let you guess," Tony says with a wink. 

He has a good idea. "Snowball cried the entire ride over?" 

Tony nods, "Correct. But it was her 'let me see!' meow, not a panicky one."

"They were in a cage, right?" Rhodes asks. 

He's wiggling his fingers at Callie, who can't be bothered to bat at them. She just reaches out and pushes Jim's hand away with a hint of claws. Those things are sharp, and Rhodes gets the message and leaves her be.

"Of course!" Tony says. "Can't have them loose if there's no one to hold them." He wouldn't put the kittens’ safety in jeopardy, as careless as he often is with himself.

"Oh my God!" Wanda exclaims.

"I'll be damned," Sam adds.

Tony looks their way and immediately scowls, and that's when Steve sees that Snowball is in the pool. His own reaction is immediate protectiveness and anger too. How dare they put her in the water?

"What the hell!" Tony almost shouts, curt and menacing.

"She jumped in!" Wanda says, and giggles as the kitten swims around. 

Snowball still has her harness and leash, and Wanda doesn't quite know what to do with her end. It doesn't prevent the impromptu bath at all, it seems. Steve has never seen a cat in water like that, and frankly Snowball looks like she is having a good time.

"By herself, I swear!" Sam adds.

"It's true, I have it on video," Natasha says. 

"No way, show me," Jim says, grabbing the phone from her hands even though Nat was still recording. She allows Rhodes to do things that she'd maim most people for, and Steve sometimes wonders if there's something between them. "Holy shit! She did jump right in!"

"Give me that," Natasha says, taking back her phone to continue filming the kitten. 

Steve wishes his own Starkphone was close by, but it's near his abandoned chair on the other side of the pool. After idly swimming for a few seconds, not very graceful, but determined, Snowball goes to a nearby pool noodle. Sam holds it steady and she grabs at it, maybe to rest. She still seems calm and collected, so there's no urgency to get her out, or even help.

"How peculiar. On Asgard, cats do not enjoy getting wet," Thor says as he watches the show like the rest of them.

"They usually don't like it here either," Tony says, hands on his hips as he looks down at his girl in surprise.

Upon hearing Tony, Snowball leaves her noodle and swims back towards him. She even manages to meow doing so, which is hilarious.

"You're such a weirdo," Tony says with a grin when she reaches the side of the pool again and he fishes her out. 

Unsurprisingly, Snowball responds, making everyone laugh. Being completely wet showcases even more how tiny she is, still. 

"It's a good pool party when even the cat joins in," Sam says.

"Which brings me back to how disappointed I am that no one invited me," Tony says, pouting.

"You're always invited," Steve replies. 

It's Tony's first visit in months. Maybe he'll start to come by the Compound more often now. It's one of Steve's many hopes.

"We didn't exclude you on purpose," Natasha says with a little smirk. The _you did that yourself_ isn't far, but it isn't harsh either. She provides a towel for Snowball that Tony accepts with a smile, wrapping the kitten up.

"Thanks. You want to pet her?" he offers.

"Maybe later," Nat says. Steve's never seen her disclose a vulnerability this clearly before. 

"That's fine." 

"Do you still have clothes over here?" Rhodes asks. "If not, I have a few spare bathing suits."

Tony grins at him. "Yeah, okay. I haven't been to a decent pool party in years." 

Rhodey smiles back and Steve has to admit that he might miss Tony a lot, but he's definitely not the only one. 

"I can hold the little one while you go change," Thor says, with an almost puppy-like look in his eyes.

"Sure," Tony says, transferring the cat and towel bundle to Thor’s arms. Snowball looks even tinier in the huge arms of a clearly smitten Thor. "You watch the hooligans for me, alright?" Tony tells Steve.

"You bet. I won't let 'em do anything to the babies," Steve says, rocking Callie in demonstration. Tony smiles and does a finger gun, then leaves on Rhodes' heels to get a bathing suit.

His princess is now wiggling, ready to go explore too.

"Do you think that one likes swimming too?" Sam asks. 

"I don't know," Steve says. 

He approaches and sits on the edge, feet and calves in the water. Callie, now on his lap, is side-eyeing the pool, and doesn't look like she wants to jump in at all. 

"Hey there, sweetheart," Sam says, slowly approaching nearer, then reaching a wet hand towards her. As soon as she gets a droplet on her nose, by accident, Callie recoils. 

"Yeah, I don't think so," Steve says, petting her in reassurance. 

"It's just that she doesn't know what it is. Maybe dip her paws in a little," Sam says.

"Nah, only if she goes by herself." He doesn't want to traumatize her. 

Callie's always been the more cautious of the two sisters. She might wish to follow Snowball at one point, but Steve will let her go at her pace.

"They are so adorable," Wanda says, sitting by Steve's side. "I understand better why you go to the Tower so much." 

Which… yeah. It isn't just the cats, but he's not going to say that, is he? Steve feels Sam's gaze on the side of his face and silently wills him to stay quiet.

"Imagine when we found them," Steve says. "They were smaller than my hand. So tiny." 

"You _have_ to show me the pictures again," Wanda says, teasing; Steve has shown them so many times. "No, really," she adds. "I'll have a better appreciation for them now."

"Sure."

Callie isn't interested by the pool at all, no matter what Sam does to entice her. Steve is thirsty and eventually gives his girl to Wanda before seeking a drink in the compound. He can't help but stop and smile at Thor, who's cradling a sleeping Snowball – surely she's exhausted by all the excitement.

"Do you want something from the inside?" Steve asks. 

"No, thank you," Thor murmurs, entranced by his charge. 

"You know what we should do?" Natasha says, who seems to be still documenting everything that has to do with the kittens on her phone. "Make an Avengers and Cats Instagram."

"You think people would like that?" Steve asks.

"Are you kidding me?" Nat answers. "Cats: a classic. Superheroes: it gets the hits going. Now cats and superheroes? If I monetize it, I'll be rich in no time."

"Check with Tony first," Steve says as he enters the Compound, looking for a water bottle. 

There's a wet bar just inside the patio doors, but Steve stops short as he hears voices. Once again, his sensitive hearing makes him privy to a conversation he was certainly not supposed to overhear. Tony and Rhodes are in the common kitchen, and haven't noticed Steve come in at all.

"You look good, man," Jim says. 

"Yeah, I'm alright," Tony replies. 

"Anything you want to talk about?" Rhodes needles, with a great deal of affection.

"I don't know what you're referring to," Tonys says. There's the sound of the blender turning on, crushing ice. He must be making frozen smoothies. The noise almost masks Rhodes' next remark.

"Sure you don't." 

When the noises stop, Rhodes asks, "So, will you keep the cats?"

That's something that Steve has wondered about for a while, so he holds his breath for the answer.

"Well... I never thought I'd get a pet, but yeah," Tony says.

It takes a ton of weight off Steve's shoulders. At twelve weeks old, they could have found forever homes for the kittens already. But Steve couldn't imagine letting go of the kittens, even to a nice family. And frankly? He's suspected for months that Tony would prefer to keep them; he's way too attached.

"So, do you think Steve will want to take his?" Tony asks.

That takes Steve by surprise. Tony wants to separate the sisters?

"You know what? I don't think he'd want that," Jim says.

The statement rubs Steve the wrong way. Of course he'd adopt one if Tony wanted to keep only half of the pair. He'd protest out loud, but then Rhodes adds: "He wouldn't have a ready excuse to go to the Tower anymore."

Wait, what did Jim just say?

"Well, no," Tony replies. "If Steve has his girl here, why would he?"

"I'm always amazed by how stupid you are," Jim says. "Steve goes to the Tower to see you, idiot."

Steve's jaw almost unhinges in shock. How can Jim spill the beans like that? He thought they were friends now. Sure, Rhodes' friendship with Tony will forever come first, but he doesn’t need to throw Steve under the bus either.

"Me?" Tony replies, sounding surprised. "No, no. Why? He comes to see the cats. He didn't, before."

Which, okay, that's Steve's own fault. He tried so hard to give Tony space after the complete debacle that was telling Tony about Hydra and the Winter Soldier and the Ultron fiasco. Steve wanted to be sure Tony had forgiven him completely before working on solidifying their friendship. It's possible he had been too cautious, if Tony thinks there would be no reason for Steve to go without the cats. But then again, Steve brought Tony Burger King, which led to finding the kittens. That was before! 

Rhodes just plainly told Tony that Steve is interested in him. Apart from the surprise, and trying to deny it, Tony doesn't seem opposed to the idea at all. That, in itself, is reason to hope that Tony might return Steve's affections.

"So stupid," Rhodes says. 

"Shut up," Tony grumbles. 

Steve will have to let Tony know how much he appreciates him, cats or no cats, at the very least. They've grown as friends in the last three months, surely Tony realizes that. Steve's feelings have passed the test of time, and he's certain it's not just infatuation. It is possible being cautious isn't the way to go anymore. If Tony wants him back, it would be crazy to do nothing about it. So yes, they need to talk at one point; it's highly overdue. 

Instead of grabbing a water bottle and slipping out, Steve strides into the kitchen as if he's not been eavesdropping for the last five minutes. Tony now has Jim's black swim trunks on with no shirt, and he looks downright fantastic. Steve longs to one day be allowed to reach and touch him, and not just steal a few glances.

"Hey guys!" Steve exclaims. There's a row of glasses with frozen fruit smoothies on the counter, Tony pouring the last drops. "Nice! Do you need any help with that?"

"Hey, Cap," Tony says with a smile. "Sure. There must be a tray somewhere?"

"Yeah, it's in the cupboard next to the fridge," Steve says, going to fetch it. 

"We were wondering," Rhodes says, already sipping at his drink. He's sitting on a stool near the island, and the innocent look on his face is such a lie. Rhodes is just as much a little shit as every other Avenger. "Would you like to have one of the cats, when they're big enough?"

Which is… okay, Jim is consistent and trying to prove a point to Tony. It's as perfect an occasion as any for Steve to come clean. 

Steve hums. "I'm not sure. Is it a good idea to separate the sisters?" he asks, before looking straight at Tony, who is watching him closely. Steve girds his loins and adds, "I'd love to have Callie, but then I wouldn't have an excuse to come see you at the Tower as often."

Tony's eyes widen in surprise as Jim laughs. Steve can't break eye contact though, nervousness knotting his stomach. But then Tony starts smiling. The relief that follows is staggering and Steve helplessly smiles back. Oh God. His not-so-well-kept secret, except to Tony, is out in the open. And he's not being immediately turned down.

"Yeah?" Tony asks, searching Steve's face. The question conveys so much at once: _You enjoy visiting me? You like me? You'd want more?_

"Yes." To all the above. Steve sincerely hopes that Tony gets it.

"I can't believe you guys," Rhodes says. "I have the perfect solution for you. Tony, you come back here, with both cats. We all get to play with the kittens, and as a bonus, Steve gets to see you, and you him. Win-win!"

Tony tilts his head, considering, but not speaking out, as if waiting for Steve's input.

"That would be really, really great," Steve says fervently.

"Not just for Iron Man?" Tony asks, as if to make sure he hasn't misread the situation. Steve shakes his head. He's wanted Iron Man back and been vocal about it, but this is so much more.

"Who needs Iron Man when they've got me?" Rhodes says.

"Okay, I think you are past being useful now, Rhodey Bear," Tony says with a huff.

"Yes, please go," Steve tells Jim, carefully closing the distance between Tony and himself. 

Want is coursing through Steve's veins, and he’s longing to hold Tony's hand, at the very least. To take him in his arms and kiss him if he's lucky.

"Okay, okay, you've got this," Rhodes says while putting the smoothies on the tray. "Finally."

Jim is probably not even out of the kitchen when Steve reaches for Tony's hand, thrilled when he interlocks their fingers. Steve's heart is racing and fluttering in his chest.

"Are you sure about this?" Tony asks.

"Yes." Confident about his feelings. That it's the right thing to do. That they will be stronger together, no matter what. "Are you?"

"That I want you? Of course. That I won't fuck it up? Not so much," Tony says, his smile faltering. It's understandable that he's nervous; the end of his relationship with Pepper wasn’t easy.

"We'll make it work, Tony," Steve says with conviction. He can be certain enough for two until Tony accepts it as well.

"Okay. I trust you," he says, which is huge. Maybe even more important than another four-letter word. Steve's in love and he knows it, and hopefully Tony will get there too.

"That means a lot to me," Steve says, squeezing Tony's hand. "Thank you."

Tony smiles. "You're welcome. Now, are you going to kiss me or what?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Steve quips, circling Tony's waist with his free arm to pull him flush to his chest. 

The skin-on-skin contact is divine and Steve leans down until their lips meet in a soft kiss. Tony buries his fingers in Steve's hair in return, which causes a cascade of shivers down his spine and raises goosebumps all over. It is, without a doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to Steve. He is so full of happiness, he might spontaneously combust. Judging by the expression on Tony's face when they separate, the exhilaration is mutual.

"I've wanted to do this for so long," Steve murmurs, giving Tony another peck. 

"Same," Tony says. "So it wouldn't be too fast if I moved back here, like, tomorrow? Right?"

"That would be wonderful," Steve says with feeling. "It will be great. I'll help."

It makes Tony beams. "In a hurry to have me close by?"

"Yes." Steve kisses Tony again, pouring in all of his hopes, to know and cherish all of him. It revs up to deep and wet in no time, Steve's blood now rushing in his ears. God, he wants and wants, so much. 

"Whoa, alright," Tony says when they have to break the kiss in need of oxygen. Desire has blown his pupils wide open, making his eyes darker than usual and even more mesmerizing. "I would have moved back months ago if I'd known this was on offer!"

He looks as if he means it. But as much as Steve hated the distance of the last few months, he knows that it's best that Tony took some time for himself. Now that he's closed the door on Pepper, has processed the tragedy with his parents – though eventually they'll find Bucky, and that won't be easy – and he got some rest away from Iron Man. Better to jump back in, hopefully, but Steve can wait until Tony's ready. 

"It's fine. I'm glad you'll be with me from now on. With us, where you belong, even without Iron Man. I've missed you. We all did." 

"I've missed you too. So much," Tony says, kissing his cheek. "Everyone seems okay with the cats, right?" Tony asks, looking towards the patio door. 

"Please. They're all smitten already." The team will spoil the sisters rotten, he's convinced of it.

Tony nods. "Good. I'll have to get DUM-E and U, bring them here too."

"Of course." The bots are part of their family, after all. 

Steve gathers Tony in a tight hug and sighs in contentment, kissing the top of his head. He's so happy, this is perfect.

"Come on," he says when he releases Tony, though he keeps an arm around his shoulders. Now that he's got permission to touch, Steve plans on taking advantage of it every moment he can. "Let's go see how the children are doing."

Tony laughs – the most wonderful sound in the universe, for sure – as they go check on their brood; human and feline alike.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> You saw that adorable art by Kait / @StarkSnack, right? I am IN LOVE ♥. It's so cute and perfect for the fic. She's been a joy to work with from the moment she picked the story to the end, thank you for your enthusiasm dear! The art is also on Twitter [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28093065/preview). Please give it some love and tons of retweets/likes!
> 
> Much thanks to ChocolateCapCookie from the POTS Discord server who generously offered her services to beta this story! ♥
> 
> I want to give a special shootout to GeekMom13 who talked about her black cat Snowball with me just as I was looking for names for the kittens. It just fit. Plus you know Tony is a Simpson fan, and would like a nod to Snowball II and+
> 
> A few weeks ago I heard the old song "Right here waiting" by Richard Marx while in my car, and thought it fit really well with this soft Steve. Hence the title. 
> 
> I appreciate all kudos and comments, always. The pandemic has made it hard to have the spoons to reply, but I read and enjoy them all, and will react when I can, I promise. ♥
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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